Study Reveals Gamer Age, Gender Surprises

A recent list of facts published by the Entertainment Software Association reveals that 38 percent of gamers are women, despite common stereotypes that say otherwise.

Their numbers also point out that female gamers over the age of 18 make up 31 percent of all gamers, a larger percentage than that of male gamers under the age of 17 (20 percent), a group traditionally seen as the majority.

Also of note is the fact that the average age of the typical gamer is 33.

More importantly for those marketing types out there, the average age of the most frequent game purchaser is a positively geriatric 38, and during 2007, 80 percent of console game purchasers were over the age of 18.

Interestingly, the ratio of female to male gamers and the average gamer’s age seems to have stagnated over the last few years as the ESA’s own numbers show an almost imperceptible change.